


Disappearing Act

by Fulcrumisthebomb



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2014-04-18
Packaged: 2018-01-19 21:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1485415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fulcrumisthebomb/pseuds/Fulcrumisthebomb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drift gets into some dangerous- but not harmful- chemicals; Perceptor is puzzled by Drift's immediate panic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Disappearing Act

Drift was perfect. 

No mech was _perfect_ , Perceptor knew that; and the fact that the ideal of perfection differed between individuals only compounded his confusion. And yet, he instinctively knew Drift  _was_ perfect. He had accepted this long ago, when his long words and lukewarm personality hadn’t driven Drift away. Drift was a brilliantly unique mech with innumerable and irritating quirks, and yet Perceptor often felt like they had been specifically created for one another. Is that what Primus had done, with the first sparks he had supposedly sent down to Cybertron? Had the old god moulded sparkmates and placed a gentle resonance deep within them so they could find each other again? 

...Only  _Drift_ could get him to muse on such silly notions as  _sparkmates_. 

Perceptor huffed as he erased the last few lines of his notes and rewrote them in greater detail, sneaking a peek up at the mech in question. Drift was wandering through the lab, impatiently waiting for Perceptor's shift to end so he could presumably drag the scientist to the bar. They had fallen into a delightful pattern as of late, once their shifts were synced- Perceptor was fairly certain Drift had yelled at someone to make that happen, and he wished he could've witnessed it. They would wander into the bar, sometimes ordering a drink, occasionally not, and chat with whoever waved them over first. Perceptor had never been one to listen to gossip, but after he had been reduced to a laughing mess after Swerve recounted the events of the day, he had to admit there was an inherent value in the social exchange.

A few hours before closing, Drift would grab his arm and literally  _tug_  him back to their suite, where they would interface until pleasantly tired or curl up together while doing separate tasks until Drift fell into recharge in his lap. It was a routine, consistent and comfortable. Perceptor craved regularity, and from Drift's lovely smiles and enthusiastic eagerness, Drift was happy as well.

Perceptor huffed at himself, shaking his head once to refocus. A few more kliks and he could put his notes away and brace himself for the whirlwind that was his lover-

Something tugged at Perceptor, an urgent vague warning that made him glance up reflexively. His vents clamped down in alarm at what he saw, reaching out even though they were half a room apart. " _Drift, come away from there!_ "

Drift had been navigating the brightly labeled 'Dangerous' area with his usual grace- perhaps Perceptor shouldn't have screamed at him, because the swordsmech jumped at his name and turned, one shoulderguard clipping the edge of a pair of shelves. Horrified, Perceptor watched a vat tip, losing it's flimsy lid and spilling its contents all over the unfortunate mech.

Perceptor noted with some relief that the jar was painted black, meaning whatever liquid was coating his lover was inactive. Dangerous, yes, but not life-threatening. He rushed toward Drift, optic wide in surprise as he realised he could  _see through_  bits of Drift's armour. 

Well, that was different.

Drift met him halfway across the lab, pedes slipping as he frantically hurried toward him. He was presumably holding up his hands from the slivers of white metal the liquid hadn't touched and concealed. Perceptor had to choke back a laugh as he watched Drift slowly disappear in lazy streaks as the concoction dripped down his frame.

Drift was  _not_ amused, apparently, from the tense babbling he was spitting at Perceptor, his one visible optic wide with panic. Perceptor nodded, faint smile fading as the words filtered through.

" _OhPrimusPercywhat'sgoingon ohfrag whyamIgone what'sgoingon Ican'tleave ohPrimushelpme-_ "

"Drift, calm down," Perceptor said firmly, reaching up to blindly find his lover's arm. His hand was immediately coated with the sticky residue and took on the reflective quality of the substance, blotting his palm from sight. 

Drift wailed, flinging himself backwards in a stumble. " _Percydon'ttouchme!_ "

"Drift, this alloy will not hurt you," Perceptor replied, puzzled as he chased the flickering edges of the frame he could see. "Drift, wait! I need to get us into the decontamination showers as soon as possible. Drift.  _Drift! Stop._ "

The shivering mech paused, the streaked optic dimly peering up at him. "I'm sorry," Drift mumbled. "I don't- I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't have been back there, but there is no harm done," Perceptor said quietly. "Come with me, I'll get this washed off us and it will be just fine." Drift's frame slumped under his grip in resignation, and Perceptor frowned as he gently led them across the lab to the emergency showers. It was uncommon to see Drift so upset; he was an emotional mech, but not prone to fear. Uncertain how to handle Drift's sudden anxiety, he began explaining in the simplest terms he knew that the substance wasn't harmful or permanent, as evidenced by being able to scrub it off Drift's arm. When he finished, Drift was still half-covered in the slippery liquid and looked upset, so Perceptor began prattling about the latest rumours they'd heard last night. He moved his hands in slow, soothing circles as he cleaned the brightening frame, silently marveling over how Drift had always let him touch him so intimately without any complaint.

"Of course, I don't want  _you_  daring Skids to drink a tenth of his frame weight," Perceptor said with a forced chuckle, "but if we could manipulate someone else into doing so... Fortress Maximus, perhaps? Can you imagine their bill for that evening? They would be paying it off for _months._ "

Perceptor rose, tossing the stained nigh-invisible rag to the side. He motioned at Drift, prompting him to turn. "Pivot, please, so I can be certain you're fully clean."

Drift did so, optics downcast, shoulders hunched. If Perceptor didn't know better, the pose was _submissive_. Surely Drift wasn't feeling guilty for the accident, was he?

"I know I startled you when I called out to you earlier," Perceptor offered when Drift had completed his slow circle. "I am as much to blame for this incident as you." He huffed in surprise as Drift lunged forward, wrapping lithe arms around his neck in a possessive hug.

"S'not that," Drift mumbled against his audial.

Perceptor rested his hands along Drift's back, holding him close with a loose grip. "Tell me what has you so frightened?" he asked softly.

Drift rumbled a laugh, which relaxed some of Perceptor's worry. "I did kinda freak out, didn't I?"

"Yes, yes you did."

"Well, it  _was_  some weird slag," Drift sniffed, sounding defensive, and Perceptor smiled to himself. "But it was more like- It was the idea of going invisible. It was pretty disturbing on it's own, but then it triggered this wave of- of nausea. And pain. Stuff I haven't thought about in a long time." Drift nuzzled him, pressing biting kisses to Perceptor's neck. "Especially after I met you."

Perceptor mulled over the puzzling  _'I can't leave'_ statement Drift had blurted; with this context, it made more sense. 

"I've been invisible before," Drift added in a hushed tone, burying his face into Perceptor's shoulder. "I don't ever..  _ever_  want to feel like that again."

"You won't," Perceptor promised quickly, tilting his helm to nudge Drift's. "I have always valued you for yourself. You have so much to give, Drift, and so much you  _already_  give."

"And if you aren't around?" Drift sighed, a tinge of bitterness in his voice. "You don't listen when I tell you how much I need you, do you?"

"Yes, I listen with great care," Perceptor replied honestly, pulling back just enough to catch Drift's gaze. "Do not let your reliance on me blind you to the amazing individual you are. You have a unique set of talents and gifts that no one else in the universe has; everyone benefits from knowing you, Drift, either directly or indirectly."

"I... Wow." Drift bit his lower lip as his optics dimmed. "Okay, you sap, you win this round."

"...Sap?"

"You're getting all mushy on me," Drift laughed, tugging Perceptor down and kissing his nose. "Okay, I get what you're saying, but you can't deny that together we're even  _better_."

Perceptor smiled, reaching around Drift to turn off the solvent spray. "Oh yes, I would say we're brilliant together," he purred, tugging them into the lab. "What do you want to do, love? The bar?"

"No." Drift kept his hold on Perceptor, slanting his hips into the scientist's. "You don't sound _convinced,_ Percy. I think I need to take you back to our room and remind you just how 'brilliant' we are together."

Perceptor chuckled, nodding in agreement as he let Drift lead.


End file.
